So, as I've mentioned before, I had to write a paper on a subculture for school, and I chose the Detroit music scene. A couple people expressed interest in reading it, so I posted it after the following "read more" break. Thanks again to everyone that answered questions for me. :)

“I knew I wanted to be a musician when I went to college and majored in business and saw all the Joe Normal jockos who were majoring in business. I knew that I was not one of them; I just wanted to be in a rock ‘n’ roll band.” – Danny Kroha (The Gories, Danny & the Darleans) I’ve been a regular in the Detroit music scene for about eight months now. Don’t get me wrong, the music’s great, but what really keeps me coming back is the people. The musicians that frequent the venues in metro Detroit are, from my experience, some of the nicest, most dedicated people I have ever met. When I’m at a show, I can feel the community that has formed between these musicians over the years, whether it’s from prior collaborations or just mutual respect. They put so much of themselves in to their music that I can’t help but be mesmerized every time they play; the intensity, the purity, and the raw emotion are unparalleled. I interviewed 16 musicians out of metro Detroit, 3 in person and the rest online. Out of the 16, 3 were female, which is a fairly accurate representation of the scene I frequent. Their ages ranged from 18 to mid-50s, and they had been in anywhere from 5 to 30 bands. Sixty percent attended college and the majority have at least one other job, in addition to being in a band. The Detroit music scene is unique for a number of reasons. Steve Nawara, owner of the Beehive Recording Company and, most recently, member of the band Colorwheel, stated the first reason best: “People don't make music to appease anyone here. No one gives a shit about an industry that doesn't care for them nor is anyone trying to sound like they are from somewhere else. It's here in the present moment, right around you.” It’s true: the majority of bands that play in these local bars aren’t on major labels. Each has its own individual sound; no two bands are the same. No matter how many bands I see, I always want more. There’s no repetition, unlike most of what’s on the radio, and I never go home disappointed. Colleen Burke (Outrageous Cherry, Danny & the Darleans) said, “It may just be the people that I know but here it seems that the emphasis is not to create an image to sell but to play because you love it… Here, I know many musicians in their 40s who have chosen to always live and make music here. They've toured, but have never lived anywhere else. I think that makes for a unique expertise in a place and its sound.” For Detroit musicians, it’s all about the music. All 16 that I spoke with became interested in music from an early age. Christopher Tait (Electric Six, Belle Ghoul) reminisced about his childhood, stating, “I danced around to the 8 track when I was little, and eventually wanted to make my own noise.” Their passion for their music shows in their hard work and dedication to playing shows as often as possible. The scene is never stagnant; these bands are constantly producing new music and evolving. I’ve always been impressed by this, since many of them lead a “normal” life during the day. Mike Alonso (Electric Six) spoke about Detroit, saying that “it has always been a blue collar city, where bands really wanted to play and work at music. It shows in the quality and creativity from the city.” While many of these musicians have learned to adapt to the late nights and hours of practicing, none of them seem to mind. “My regular routine is a Rock & Roll lifestyle,” said Bobby Harlow (The GO, Conspiracy of Owls). “It's become who I am. Everything [else] is a distraction from music.” I met up with Richie Wohlfeil (Danny & the Darleans, Mother Whale) at the used record and book store that he owns in Hamtramck, Lo & Behold! Records & Books. I love being at his shop; it’s small, friendly, and comfortable. Richie and I have only known each other for two or three months, but our conversation was very relaxed and personal. He had a Gil Scott-Heron record playing softly in the background when we began, and, throughout our conversation, customers came and went, browsing through his selection. “I got into music listening to records in my grandmother’s basement for years, since I was a kid,” said Richie. “I think that started the obsession: finding an old jukebox in my grandmother’s basement.” For the 28-year-old DJ/drummer/washboard player, a big part of what makes Detroit’s music so unique is its rich history. “A lot of those old Motown guys are still around, still playing. It’s like that in other places, like New York, but you couldn’t just go up to Lou Reed on the street. It’s on a different level here. You can say hi to Spider Turner, or go into a venue on a random night and see a Motown legend still performing.” Another characteristic that makes Detroit special is it’s separation from most of the world. “It’s such a closed off scene. We don’t get out, and part of it is work. You end up getting rooted here, where you aren’t focusing on travelling and getting out there. You’re focusing on trying to survive and playing when you can. I think that’s a difference we have from other musical communities. It’s a good thing, because we end up working harder at our music every chance we get, but at the same time, we’re not as socialized, I think. We’re in our own little world here. Some of us get out, some of us don’t. Any time I can get out, I try to, but I always want to come back.” As we talked, Richie periodically got up to switch the record, dancing as he walked back, really feeling the music. He DJs in his spare time, and his passion for music truly shows. After over an hour of talking with Richie, I left Hamtramck to go to class, which was closely followed by one of my favorite monthly events: New Orleans night at PJ’s Lager House in Detroit. 25-year-old drummer Ben Luckett (Magic Jake and the Power Crystals, The Readies) had agreed to be interviewed before his set that night. We sat out on the patio, with the excited chatter of concert-goers and Dixieland jazz filling the cool night air. About 15 minutes into our conversation, Ben talked about how it was hard it was to be involved with music while attending the College for Creative Studies, but he made it work. “If it’s something you want to do badly enough or something you’re really interested in, you’ll work around it. It won’t be something that’s interrupting your life; it just becomes how you live it.” Music really is Ben’s life. When asked if he had any other hobbies outside of music, he said no, taking a drag on his cigarette. “I mean, I have a day job, and if things are going really well, I go straight to practice or recording or to a show. And I like doing that. If I’m not doing that, I’m upset. I don’t know what to do. I’m generally unhappy. I don’t need to do anything else. When I’m playing, that’s what I want to do. I don’t need to build models or anything, have a pen pal.” “It’s hard to have a relationship with anybody, romantically, because it takes up a lot of time,” said Ben. “I’m not losing any sleep over it.” Because I already knew that Ben had gone on tour in Brazil with The Readies, I then asked him about his experience with it. “I like being in a different city every night. Every night you’re playing and people want to talk to you and hang out with you. It’s not like that at home. You still have to come home and have a job; it’s not real life for the majority of people. If I could go on tour as a job and support myself, I’d do it tomorrow.” We finished the interview right before Ben was scheduled to play. The next day, in between class and work, I got together with Jeffrey William Thomas (Gardens) on the same patio I had interviewed Ben on the night before. Jeffrey’s a rather quiet guy; you’d never guess that he’s been a strong front man for multiple bands over the years just by meeting him. After a few introductory questions, we started getting into the good stuff. I asked Jeffrey how his family and friends viewed his “rock and roll” lifestyle. “My friends are part of my lifestyle,” he replied. “My family didn’t accept it for a while, but they’re more comfortable with it now, whether I make it somewhere or not.” Jeffrey has travelled quite a bit in his 28 years, and as we swapped road trip stories, I asked why he chose to stay in Detroit. “I tried to live in San Francisco for a little bit, but it just made me want to come back home. There’s a lot of good music here, a lot of sweet people… It’s my home; I feel connected to it.” Out of all of his experiences, the one that really made an impression on Jeffrey was part of his tour with his former band, Genders. “One of the highlight shows was playing a big festival in Montreal. The crowd was very receptive, taking their clothes off, going nuts. It was a long, epic trip.” As he spoke, police sirens went off in the distance. It wasn’t a distraction, though; frequenters of Detroit get used to the sound. For my final question, I asked Jeffrey what his hopes were for his music. “It’d be nice to sell records and tour other countries,” he said. “I don’t need crazy stardom, but it’d be nice to buy a van, a new guitar, stuff like that. Have a check.” While playing music for money may seem like a great way to live, the musicians I spoke to made it very clear that it’s an over-romanticized ideal. “No one can just go out and BE a professional musician,” said Jackson Frederick Smith (Amy Gore and Her Valentines, The Orbitsuns), son of musicians Fred and Patti Smith. “It’s a huge gamble. I know people far better than myself who never got anywhere playing music. I am VERY lucky that am in a position where I can make money playing music.” I’ve met over a hundred musicians in the past few months, and none of them seem to mind taking that chance and putting forth the effort. Their passion for their music really shows through their performances; I’ve been at concerts where there were anywhere from three to three hundred people in the audience. The intensity is always the same; while a bigger crowd may get them more excited, they don’t let the smaller ones get them down. Raquel Falcon (Jeecy and the Jungle) stated the 16 musicians’ consensus on the issue perfectly: “This is hard work, but it’s worth those perfect moments of connection with your band and with the audience.” Touring is an important part of any serious musician’s lifestyle, and almost everyone I interviewed had done their fair share. The youngest of the group, 18 year old Zak Bratto (Growwing Pains), hasn’t been able to go on the road yet, but is looking forward to his first experience. “It doesn’t matter that much to me where I play as longs as I’m playing to cool people that respect what I’m trying to do.” More seasoned musicians, while fond of travelling and getting their music out there, expressed the hardships that come with touring. Raquel Falcon mentioned that “it’s really not the glamorous lifestyle people think it is or could be. Some of it was fun but you’re constantly traveling, going to sound checks, getting up early, and the endless waiting to play. It was tough being away from friends and my husband.” Those with experience touring seemed to agree that the tough times on the road were worth it. “I love to travel to new places and play music for strangers,” said Troy Gregory (The Witches, The Dirtbombs). Between their day jobs, practicing, and concerts, Detroit musicians don’t have a ton of free time. Some, like John Nash (Electric Six, The Witches), have hobbies outside of music. “I have a passion for mountain biking that stems from my BMX days as a kid,” said John. “This is my definition of freedom and fun. Two wheels. Two legs. Trails and rocks and trees. And now that I have health insurance, I can really cut loose!” Others, like Robert Mulrooney (Bootsey X and the Lovemasters), do nothing but perfect their trade. “My goals are to keep recording and playing, despite my illness,” Mulrooney stated. One thing they all have in common, though, is their willingness and eagerness to support one another by attending concerts when they can. “I LOVE going out and checking out music,” said Mary Ramirez (The Detroit Cobras). “I go out quite a lot; we are fortunate that we have places like the Lager House that have national and local acts that are at their developing stages playing for us 7 days a week.” She’s right about that; there’s never a time when you can’t find some sort of live music going on in and around the city. I go out to concerts once or twice a week, and it’s almost guaranteed that at least a quarter of the audience will be made up of musicians. They come out to cheer on their friends and welcome newer acts with open arms; as long as you have a good, easy-going attitude, you’ll never be an outsider among these Detroit musicians. The climate at these shows is always the same: as long as I know at least one musician that’s playing, I feel comfortable and safe. It’s strange to say that, especially since, more often than not, the concerts are in a bar, at night, in Detroit. It’s hard to explain why, but, even though I haven’t known these musicians long enough to have close personal relationships with them, I know that they’ve got my back if I ever run into trouble. There’s nobody I’d rather spend my nights with than the musicians of the Detroit music scene.